Work-holder for sewing-machines.



N. VAN DBVENTER-SMITH & J. E. VAN DEVENTER.

WORK HOLDER FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLIOATIOH' FILED MAY a. 1911.

Patented Mar. 19,1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT onmon.

NELLIE VAN DEVENT'ER-SMITI-I, OF INDIANAPOLIS, AND JAMES E. VAN DEVENTER, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

WORK-HOLDER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 3, 1911.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Serial No. 624,859.

To all whom wt may concern Be it known that we, NELLIE VAN DEVEN 'lER-SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, and JAMES E. VAN DEVENTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful \Vork-Holder for SewingMachines, of which the following is a specification.

The object of our invention is to produce a work-holder attachment for sewing-machines of such character that, while it may be folded into very compact form, it may nevertheless, be readily adjusted to ordinary sewing-machines in position to receive the work as it issues therefrom, and be readily adjusted to any space available at the back of the machine.

The accompanying drawings illustrate our invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sewingmachine with our improved attachment in place; Fig. 2 a perspective view of the bag and its side rods, the holding clamps being omitted; Fig. 3 a side elevation, in partial vertical. section, of the clamp and adjacent parts, full size, and Fig. 4 a front elevation of the clamp with one of the side rods of the bag in section.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a receiver or bag preferably formed of canvas and comprising triangular sides 11, 11, front 12, and back 13, the upper edges of the sides 11, 11 being provided with a casing 1 1 through which a side rod 15 may be threaded. The casing 14 lies substantially at right angles to the back 13 of the bag whereas the front 12' inclines downwardly and rearwardly, the shape of the bag being such as to insure the holding of the work deposited therein away from the moving parts of the drive train of the machine. Each of the casings 141, near the front 12, is formed with a loose flap 16 thus providing a gap in the casing through which the rod 15 is exposed. Each rod 15 at its rear end is provided with an enlarged head 17 which is too large to pass through the casing 14. The rods 15 are the only stiff members used for distending' the bag 10 and it will be noticed that these may be readily folded and rolled into the bag or, if desired, may be quickly withdrawn so as to be laid parallel and rolled into the bag for storage. In order to hold the bag in place upon the table 21 of the sewing-machine we provide a pair of similar U-shaped clamp heads 22. The base of each clamp body is provided with a vertical slot 23 the width of which is a close lit for the rod 15, the height permitting a considerable range of movement of the rod 15 transversely relative to the upper finger 24 of the clamp. Threaded through the lower finger 25 of the clamp is a clamping screw 26 which, at its upper end, carries a shoe 27 so connected to the clamping screw 26 that the said screw may be freely rotated therein. The shoe 27 is mounted in a pocket 28 formed in the lower arm 25 of the clamp so as to be held against rotation with the screw and the upper face of the shoe 27 is provided with a recess or pocket 29 adapted to receive and fit closely upon the rod 15.

In use, the two rods 15 are threaded through the casings 1 1 until the gaps opposite the flaps 16 are reached. The rods are then threaded through the slots 22) of clamps 22 and passed from thence into the forward ends of the casings 14-, each rod 15 thus passing over a shoe 7. Thereupon the struc ture may be clamped upon a work table 21 as indicated in Fig. 3, the clamping screw 26 driving the shoe 27 against rod 15 and driving the rod, and the inner portion of the casing 1 1-, into engagement with the lower surface of the work table, thus not only firmly clamping each rod 15 in desired position but also firmly clamping the bag itself in place.

From the above it will be seen that no fastening connections between the bag and the rods are required and the bag may be extended or contracted to any condition at the rear of the work table by slipping the rods 15 beneath the work table across shoes 27.

lVe claim as our invention:

A work-holder comprising a bag of flexible material having two opposite portions ofits mouth formed into casings, each of said casings being formed in two parts with a space between said two parts, a rod extending through each of said casings and across the space between the two parts thereof, a shoe for engaging that part of each rod which is between the two parts of its associated C2 sing, said rods being slidable longitudinally of said shoes, a main clamp body having a clamping finger spaced from the clamping shoe and substantially parallel with the rod, and means for moving said shoes and said rods transversely to said body, whereby a supporting board may be clamped between the clamping finger of each main body and the adjacent rod, and one of the casing members of the bag also clamped between the rod and supporting board.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 20th Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

day of April, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and eleven.

NELLIE VAN DEVENTER-SMITH.

Witnesses to the signature of Nellie Van DeYenter-Smith FRANK A. FAIILE, IVIAY LAYDEN.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Anderson, Indiana, this 22nd day of April, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and eleven.

JAMES E. VAN DEVENTER.

Witnesses to the signature of James E. Van De venter:

JOCELYN DAVIS, IVILLIAM L. FINoH.

Washington, D. C. 

